Star clusters seem to ignore the laws of gravity

An international team of astronomers is baffled by this antic Certain star groups. Even your analysis requires it Newton’s laws of gravitation Out, researchers write in study. Pavel Krupa of the Helmholtz Institute for Radiation and Nuclear Physics at the University of Bonn is in charge. considered to be a representative ofModified Newton dynamics“.

An alternative theory of dark matter

“Modified Newtonian Dynamics” (MOND) or Milgromsche dynamics was 1983 as An alternative to dark matter I suggested. According to the hypothesis, dark matter is not higher than expected Galaxies rotation speed responsible. Alternatively, Newton’s law of gravitation is not appropriate for extremely large masses of galaxies, and therefore must be modified. However, the hypothesis has been controversially debated in specialized circles.

The researchers have now examined the so-called Open star clusters, which is created when thousands of stars are born within a short period of time in a huge cloud of gas. When it “ignites”, newcomers from the galaxy blow out the remainder of the gas cloud, dramatically expanding the mass. Only the gravitational forces between stars hold the mass together.

Open star clusters defy physics

“Most open star clusters live only a few hundred million years before they decay,” says Pavel Karpa in one. send Adapted from the University of Bonn. Because they regularly lose stars, which are divided into the so-called “poor tides“Accumulate. According to Newton’s gravitational laws, chance decides in which arm the lost star falls. So both arms must have one similar number contain stars.

However, in their work the researchers were able to prove for the first time that the front arm always contains more stars than the back arm. The team developed one specifically for this purpose A new way to count the starswhere the survey data ESA Gaia space mission She played an important role.

The results are consistent with the MOND theory

Instead, the results will surprisingly agree with the MOND calculations. For more detailed analyzes of Milgrom dynamics, the “sports toolHowever, there is another indication that Newton’s law of gravitation is insufficient in space: star clusters are obvious short termwhich is predicted by Newton’s laws.

This will have far-reaching consequences for astronomy. Newtonian dynamics and the existence of dark matter are considered acceptable, although they persist There is no evidence of dark matter can be delivered. “On the other hand, MOND theory solves many of the problems that cosmology has to grapple with today,” Kroupa is confident.

So researchers are trying to find new mathematical methods for More accurate simulations To develop. They can then be used to find more evidence about whether or not the MOND theorem is true.